Kate's Ordeal: It's Not Over
by kensi54382
Summary: Continuation of Kate's Ordeal. After finally returning to work, Kate is again kidnapped, this time with much worse consequences. Castle is out of his mind with worry, and every lead turns into a dead end. Will they ever find Kate?
1. Chapter 1

Kate had finally returned to work after spending the last two and a half weeks at home while her leg healed properly. Lanie had been right about the bite wound getting infected, but luckily the medication she had been given had worked quickly. With Lanie's help, Kate was back on her feet and completely healthy again.

A week ago, the trial for the person that had kidnapped Kate and caused her injuries had finished. He had been sentenced to prison for eight years with a chance of parole in four years. But before the bailiff had been able to take him into custody after the trial, he had yelled out threats against Kate, most specifically one where he wanted her dead. She hadn't taken it seriously, but Castle had, and he had asked Montgomery to get her some protection. Montgomery had agreed and tasked Esposito and Ryan with keeping her safe while he found someone to take over. Surprisingly, Kate had welcomed Ryan and Esposito's protection, but had refused anyone else. Castle had the feeling that she didn't want to admit that she was afraid, but also that she secretly loved being around her team. After all, they were close, and everyone on the team were friends.

"Hey Ryan. Where's Espo?" Kate asked.

"Downstairs with Lanie. We got a case yesterday and he was going to get the results from her autopsy. Although, that was like an hour ago. Is it just me, or are they dating?" Ryan asked thoughtfully.

"They love each other, but I don't know if they're dating. It wouldn't surprise me if they are though. What's the case?"

"Victim was the owner of a local car shop. We haven't got much though. The scene was scrubbed clean, the body posed on a chair. CSU came up empty."

"Show me." Kate sat at her desk, and read the file Ryan handed her. "I've seen this before. A couple of years ago, a woman was found dead in her home. Same positioning of the body, same everything. The scene was clean too. We never caught the killer."

"Maybe it's the same person now?"

"Maybe. Check for any other similar cases. Javi, got the results from the autopsy yet? Or were the two of you busy kissing?" Kate smirked at the question.

"We were talking."

"About?"

"You actually."

"Me?"

"Yeah, Lanie wanted to take you out for drinks tonight to say welcome back, but I told her that it might not be a good idea. If you get drunk, you won't be able to defend yourself."

"One night won't hurt Javi."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Positive. Now, call Lanie and tell her that I will go out tonight."

Esposito smiled. "Welcome back Kate."

* * *

Kate and Castle were heading back to their car when a loud thud made them stop and turn around. They were canvassing the victim's neighbourhood, but had found nothing so far. When they couldn't determine the source of the noise, the two of them continued heading for the car. They weren't expecting to find the source of that noise waiting in the car for them.

* * *

Kate shut her door and immediately felt a knife at her throat. She gasped, getting Castle's attention. He saw the knife, and then backed away from the car, pretending that he had spotted something in the distance. As he walked away, he took out his phone and called Esposito, watching helplessly as her abductor forced Kate to drive off.

"Esposito."

"It's Castle. Someone just kidnapped Kate and left me in the middle of nowhere. He had a knife at her throat."

"What car are they in?"

"Kate's."

"Alright, I got it. We'll pick you up in a moment."

"Hurry, he looked dangerous."

"You got a good look?"

"Yes. An excellent look actually."

"Good. We need a sketch ASAP. Ryan's on his way to pick you up now."

Castle thanked him and hung up, hoping that they would find Kate in time.

* * *

Kate could feel the knife pressing against her neck as she drove. She hadn't seen the person holding her captive but she knew Castle had. He was a smart person, and would have called her team by now. But she didn't even know where she was going, so how were they supposed to? Then a thought occurred to her: the car had a tracking device in it. It was always on, so she hoped that it would work.

"Turn right and stop outside the first house you see."

Kate did as she was instructed, and pulled up outside a dilapidated old house. Her captor forced her out of the car and up the stairs, using her own weapon against her. As she climbed the steps, she realised that this was what her abductor had meant. She was going to die in this old house, because surely Ryan and Esposito couldn't get to her first.

"Get inside," snarled the man behind her.

Once inside, the man holding her against her will shoved her roughly into a chair. He tied her up and then turned around, busying himself with a laptop on a table in front of her. She could see a camera connected and a thought hit her. They were going to force her team to watch them kill her. She couldn't let that happen, but she couldn't move either. She had to do something.

"Hey, jerk, look at me," said Kate. She could see that the camera was on now, and she assumed that the team had gotten the video link already. "What do you want with me?"

"Shut up!"

"Why? If you're going to kill me, I'm not going to go quietly."

"I said shut up!"

"I said no." Kate was enjoying taunting him, but she knew it was going to cost her later. Still, she didn't stop, because the longer she stalled, the more time her team had to find her. "Tell me why I'm here."

* * *

"Hey guys, I just got a video link," Esposito called out as he opened the link. "Oh no. It's Kate. Guys, Kate's on the video."

Ryan and Castle were immediately by Esposito's side watching the video. They all smiled when Kate started talking.

_"Hey, jerk, look at me."_

That was Kate, and it made Castle laugh.

"She's always tough," said Castle happily.

_"Shut up!"_

_"Why? If you're going to kill me, I'm not going to go quietly."_

_"I said shut up!"_

_"I said no. Tell me why I'm here."_

Ryan high-fived Esposito as they watched the video. It was a continuous, live feed, but Kate was giving this guy a run for his money, that was for sure.

"I sent it to tech, they can analyse it for us," said Esposito quietly as they watched Kate start telling the guy off again.

* * *

Kate wasn't getting anywhere. This guy wasn't going to tell her anything, so she tried something else instead. She just hoped that her team would find her quickly, and that they would understand what she was saying.

"Hey, dumb-ass, did we get here on time. The I-86 was pretty backed up. Then again, so was the exit ramp for Brooklyn. This street was the first quiet place. Somerton Avenue is a lovely place..." Kate suddenly stopped talking as a hand connected with her face.


	2. Chapter 2

_"Hey, dumb-ass, did we get here on time. The I-86 was pretty backed up. Then again, so was the exit ramp for Brooklyn. This street was the first quiet place. Somerton Avenue is a lovely place..."_

The guys were up as soon as they heard Kate say a street name, but they turned back to the screen when a loud crack filled the quiet room. They watched in helpless horror as Kate's abductor punched her a few times and she fell quiet.

"How dare he!" shouted Castle angrily. "I will kill him if I get my hands on him!"

"Mr Castle," said Gates from behind the guys. "You will not do anything. You are going to stay here. Detective Beckett will need you when she is home. Detectives, go find her and bring her home."

Ryan and Esposito grabbed their jackets and guns and ran out of the squad room to the elevator. They were just as angry as Castle, but they knew how to control the anger. Kate was like a sister to them, and they always protected her. This time was no different. They reached their car, and as they got in, Ryan checked the back seat to make sure they had spare jackets and blankets in case they were needed.

"Get on the I-86 Espo and I'll find the street that Kate mentioned. I hope we aren't too late," Ryan said as he punched in the street name on the GPS.

* * *

Castle took a seat next to Kate's desk, his head bowed as the anger subsided and was replaced with fear. He had thought about calling his mother, but she was away for the weekend, and he didn't want to disturb her. He had his phone in his hand and was dialing Alexis' number before he realised what he was doing. But he didn't stop. Alexis never failed to cheer him up, no matter what happened between them.

"Hey dad," said Alexis a moment later. "What's up?"

"Alexis, where are you?" asked Castle, feeling a sudden urge to make sure she was safe.

"With Pi, in our apartment. Why?"

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, but you clearly aren't. What happened?"

"Nothing. I can't just call and see that you're okay?"

"You can, but you just called this morning dad. Something happened, right?"

"Kate's been kidnapped."

"What!?"

"The guys may have found her, but I don't know if she is okay." He wasn't going to mention the video, no matter what.

"She'll be fine dad, Kate's tough. You know that."

"Yeah, but she's not..."

"Dad, stop worrying about her. You finally got engaged, and I don't think that she's going to ever let you off the hook now. She'll be fine, and she'll be home before you know it."

"You're right. Thanks Alexis. I love you sweetie."

"Love you too dad. I have to go, but I'll be by later this week to visit. Bye."

"Bye honey." Castle ended the call and sat back with a sigh. Alexis was right, Kate would be fine.

* * *

Esposito and Ryan pulled up out the front of the house that they thought held Kate and burst through the door. They quickly cleared the house, and then screamed in frustration when they realised that Kate wasn't there.

"Hey Castle," said Ryan after pulling out his phone. "Can you check the video and see if they moved Kate?"

"Sure, just a second." Castle pulled up the video and rewound it.

_"Let's go!" shouted Kate's abductor. He roughly pulled her up by her hair and dragged her to the front door, leaving nothing but an empty room on the camera. "Keep quiet!"_

_As they were leaving, Kate realised that this could be the only chance to break free, and she headbutted her captor. She took off running..._

"Ryan, they're gone. I don't where they are though." Castle was getting very scared now, and the fear was becoming too much for him to handle.

"Okay, please keep an eye on it. Tell us if anything comes up."

"Okay."

Ryan hung up his phone and closed his eyes briefly. "They're gone, have been since she spoke."

"Damn it!" Esposito threw the book he was holding and it slammed into the wall. "Let's get CSU down here, they might find something that can help us."

Ryan called CSU as he watched his partner leave the house. He had just hung up when Esposito's voice carried through to him.

"Her car's still here. She must be around here somewhere."

Ryan walked out and found his friend leaning against the fence. "Javi, we'll find her. And she'll be fine when we do. Kate is tougher than the two of us combined. For all we know, she's giving this guy a hard time again."

Esposito smiled a little, but he was still worried. Kate hadn't been the same since she had been attacked. He knew that Castle was helping her deal with the psychological trauma that she was suffering from, but it wasn't enough. She was pulling away from everyone except Castle, but it wasn't like she was talking to him either. Every time someone tried to draw her out of her newly created shell, she just built a stronger wall around herself. It had taken a long time for them to get her out of the original shell, and this wasn't helping her.

"Ryan, she's out there somewhere, alone and hurt. We don't know what's happening and we can't do anything to help her. What are we going to do?"

"I don't know Javi, I don't know."

The two of them sat there for a while, not talking. They were each lost in their own thoughts, trying to figure out what they were going to do to help their friend.


End file.
